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News Brief February 2019

Dear reader,

The anniversary year of 2018 was a special year for the Port of Esbjerg. Celebrating 150 years as a port was a historic event. And we already know that 2019 will also be very eventful for the port.

Brexit, of course, will bring widespread uncertainty. Unfortunately. Just one month before the UK leaves the EU, as we write this editorial, we still have no idea how it will end, and whether it will end well, badly or with something in between. However, it will certainly be dramatic, and the Port of Esbjerg is in full swing with preparing for a No Deal. Hopefully, the preparations will prove unnecessary. Nevertheless, they are necessary to ensure we are ready for any eventuality.

Also in 2019 we have three large wind turbine installation projects planned based in Esbjerg in 2019. The components are already streaming into the warehouse in Esbjerg, and the installations will begin in late spring. Even more chapters are being added to the story of the Port of Esbjerg as an international powerhouse for the wind turbine industry.

North Sea wind or even further away?

Continued expansion of the wind industry is a prerequisite for growth and the green transition. Right now, screening is being carried out for more 10 GW offshore wind, and with our own and the industry's experience from the North Sea over the past 20 years, it would be natural to locate more farms in the North Sea. A Horns Rev 4 is one possibility, and other positions further off the west coast of Jutland are in play.

Whatever the outcome, the perspectives are very interesting for companies at the port. This is also highlighted in this News Brief, which describes how the actual boom in offshore wind currently being experienced on the East Coast of the USA will rub off on Esbjerg. An expert speaks openly about ’a conveyor belt across the Atlantic Ocean’. Read more here. Meanwhile, reconstructing Tyra to the tune of DKK 21 billion is in full swing. The project is on track and the project manager is satisfied. Read more here about why a small Esbjerg company is playing a special role.

Bon voyage to a CEO

This is also a special year because our CEO of the past 16 years, Ole Ingrisch, is leaving the port and retiring. Ole Ingrisch has been CEO during a period when the port has experienced a dramatic development. Turnover, profit, expansion and much more besides have prompted major positive changes over the years, and Ole Ingrisch explains here in this newsletter how he has experienced his time at the helm and the changes.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that the combi terminal is finally in use as the first goods train arrived at the terminal in December and more will follow. Converting to transporting goods by rail and ships is vital for solving road congestion and meeting our ambitions of reducing CO2 in the transport sector. Read more here.

All in all, 2019 will be an incredibly exciting year for the Port of Esbjerg.